Carpet
 

Should carpet be purchased in Istanbul or other cites... If so. which cities for the better price....
THanks,
Jimar [email protected]

Having purchased carpets in Istanbul (some great and some no so much so) I would hasten to tell you that even though you may not want to hear this I would do an internet search on the subject of purchasing "oriental" carpets and what you should and should not look for and be aware of.

There are a lot of "myths" out there, particularly those concerning the "quality" and durability of hand-knotted vs. machine-loomed carpets. There is also a "durability" issue surrounding fiber content such as cotton on cotton vs. cotton on silk vs. silk on silk, etc., etc.

DO NOT tell any merchant how much you have to spend because when SOME of them hear that you can be sure the very first item you'll be shown will cost (amazingly!!!) exactly what your spending limit is. Don't hesitate to bargain...there are a lot of merchants in the city and if you don't like one go to another.

Also try to do a little shopping around where you live if at all possible and reasonable before you go so you can compare prices...with the costs of shipping, insurance, customs duties (if any) or if you are going through the hassle of hand-carrying the piece the cost differences may not be worth it.

Then there is the issue of WHERE the piece was made...many are made in Pakistan and China (although in Istanbul you would think that wouldn't be a problem...think again!! All carpets for sale in Istanbul are not necessarily from that immediate part of the world. Try to get a decent guarantee if the origin is an issue for you. Same thing with so-called "Persian" carpets..the importation of some may be restricted.

Bottom line: get as savvy as you can BEFORE you go...nobody who sees or admires your carpet later is going to know WHERE you BOUGHT it (or probably care all that much) unless you tell them. I've had fairly good luck with buying pieces in Istanbul but it was because I was somewhat "prepared" prior to dealing. Good luck.

A helpful AND pleasant post, Intrepid? Cool!

Yes, I certainly agree... With a bit of further reading... I'm ready to bargin.... Well, We hope so anyway..
Thanks again.
jimar

We nearly fell into a trap in Istanbul. We were invited to a private tour by a man who then brought us to a carpet store. We got a hard pitch to buy a carpet with the promise of sending the carpet to us if we purchased one. I smelled a rat and we walked away. Since then I have heard the stories about the carpet which was never sent and what the chances are that someone would go all the way back to Turkey to do something about it.

There are a few rip-off artists everywhere but I truely love the Turkish people overall. They are some of the friendlest people I have met in our travels.

Hi Jimar,
As far as I got,you're a little bit hesitated about Istanbul.To get a wonderful time and shopping,I think you had better take a professional guide.When we visited Turkey,we had one and had a great time.Also the store where we did buy our rugs sent ours in 3 weeks(in fact,they ship whenever you request)to USA.
When you need further information,I'm glad to inform you.

Hi

You might wish to read Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad" about rug merchants.

Unless you are moderately well-informed about quality and prices you shouldn't expect to come home with a bargain.

I doubt that we came home with a bargain, but I absolutely love the small carpet that we purchased. It's silk and originally I had it on the floor, but my cats liked it as much as we did (wow, a new bed! and it's silk!)and it's now hanging on the wall. It's a wonderful memento of our trip to Turkey. And when I go back (and I do want to go back), I'll do some research before I go.

Well.. Thanks for the info.. have to admit purchaeing a carpet sounds a bit risky!! Have scanned several books.. really not much help... number of knots, single or double, W/S, W/W,Machine/hand,etc..cant really tell the difference! Seems there should be some way of identifying the main eleements of a carpet!!!
jimar